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Geoff Kabush (Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) is best known for his exploits on the mountain bike course but the 32-year-old Canadian is also highly competitive on the North American cyclo-cross circuit. He captured his national championship in October and finishing a solid 11th and fourth at this past weekend's Mercer Cup in New Jersey.

The top tube and seat tube lengths fall roughly in between Rocky Mountain's two biggest versions but the head tube length is spot-on with the smaller size, effectively creating a fit that is taller and longer than the stock 57cm but more aggressive than the 60cm.

And why no carbon rear end? According to team manager and mechanic Gary Wolff, the all-aluminium construction was simply easier to build in-house at Rocky Mountain's British Columbia headquarters.

Even without the carbon, the frame is anything but low-tech. Rocky Mountain build the custom chassis with Columbus XLR8R tubing throughout – including the stays – but sub in an externally bulge-butted Easton scandium pipe for the seat tube to save even more weight.

Tube shaping on the triple-butted alloy pipes and the overall frame layout are fairly straightforward. Both the seat tube and top tube on the moderately sloping front triangle are perfectly round while the down tube transitions from an oval cross-section ahead to a trapezoidal one below to lend more stiffness to the front end and bottom bracket.

The down tube uses a trapezoidal profile to help bolster the bottom end: the down tube uses a trapezoidal profile to help bolster the bottom end

The down tube uses a trapezoidal profile to help bolster the bottom end

Up front there's a conventional non-tapered 1 1/8in head tube (with FSA external bearing cups no less) and both the chainstays and seatstays are medium-sized with S-bend routing.

The straightforward design may contribute to the frame's impressive showing at the scale, especially for such a large size. Actual weight is just 1,320g (2.91lb) – not far off some carbon models.

As we caught up with Kabush just prior to a muddy race in Boulder, Colorado, rolling stock consisted of Reynolds MV32C UL carbon clinchers wrapped up in aggressive 35mm-wide Maxxis Mud Wrestler tyres inflated to about 40psi.

As Shimano have yet to introduce proper 'cross-specific chainrings to their Dura-Ace groupset, Kabush's bike is fitted with Thorne Koksijde 38/44T rings, named after and developed by Cyclocrossworld.com proprietor Stu Thorne.

In addition to being offered in a wealth of hard-to-find ratios, Wolff says the pinned-and-ramped shifting performance has been very good so far and the thicker plates' extra stiffness lends a more solid feel underfoot.

Cyclocrossworld.com proprietor stu thorne now has his own range of 'cross-specific rings with pins and ramps for shifting performance and extra-thick plates for stiffness: cyclocrossworld.com proprietor stu thorne now has his own range of 'cross-specific rings with pins and ramps for shifting performance and extra-thick plates for stiffness

Cyclocrossworld.com proprietor Stu Thorne now has his own range of 'cross-specific rings

Cutting weight – but not at the expense of durability – is a recurring theme throughout. The Alpha Q fork is among the lightest available at just 470g, the brakes are similarly feathery at under 120g per wheel, and though Kabush will run Reynolds' deeper 46mm rims from time to time, Wolff says he prefers the faster acceleration of the mid-section model.

As icing on the cake, nearly all of the steel bolts on the bike have been replaced with titanium bits from Wheels Manufacturing, which not only helps shave a few grams but also prevents corrosion from frequent power washing. Total weight is a race ready 7.73kg (17.04lb).

Next stop on the US Gran Prix of Cyclocross tour is the Stanley Portland Cup on the weekend of 5 December, where Kabush and his custom machine will hope to move up in the standings.

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James started as a roadie in 1990 with his high school team but switched to dirt in 1994 and has enjoyed both ever since. Anything that comes through his hands is bound to be taken apart, and those hands still sometimes smell like fork oil even though he retired from shop life in 2007. He prefers manual over automatic, fizzy over still, and the right way over the easy way.

Discipline: Mountain, road, cyclocross

Preferred Terrain: Up in the Colorado high-country where the singletrack is still single, the dirt is still brown, and the aspens are in full bloom. Also, those perfect stretches of pavement where the road snakes across the mountainside like an artist's paintbrush.